


Breakfast at Midnight

by ohanotherday



Category: Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, M/M, Misunderstandings, Oblivious, Polyamory, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-19
Updated: 2013-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-23 23:36:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/932421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohanotherday/pseuds/ohanotherday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Krypton High School enforces a “No PDA” policy. Jor-El and Lara-Lor Van ignore it at any chance they get. Zod disapproves. Mostly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breakfast at Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> I have this problem where I pretend I’m above listening to TSwift’s music, so I ignore her songs, but then when I finally cave I end up listening to them on constant repeat. So the title came from her song “22.” Also, I wrote the entire first draft in a total of maybe eighteen hours or less. So yeah. 
> 
> And just in case you missed it in the tags, this is an all human au. So they’re all humans living on Earth.

Zod gritted his teeth as he watched Jor-El place an orange slice in Lara’s mouth. Their blatant disregard for Krypton High School’s “No PDA” policy irritated Zod to no end. Rules existed for a reason, and the fact that Jor and Lara, two very intelligent students, couldn’t bother keeping their relationship in check inside of the cafeteria made Zod want to scream in outrage.

He elbowed Faora, holding back a wince when she pinched him. “What, Zod?”

Zod ignored the exasperation in her voice. “Look,” he hissed, “they’re holding hands again.”

Faora rolled her eyes. “When they start kissing, let me know,” she drawled. “Then I might be interested in your weird fascination with them.”

_“Faora!”_ Zod turned his head away from Lara and Jor’s spectacle to glare at Faora. “I’m not fascinated with them,” he whispered. “I’m merely concerned with all students adhering to the code of conduct.”

Faora tilted her head, giving Zod a patronizing smile before glancing at his lunch tray. “Are you going to finish eating your fries?”

“Yes,” Zod snapped, quickly going back to his lunch. After a moment he paused and added a few of his fries to Faora’s lunch tray. “Don’t say I never do anything for you,” he muttered.

“Wouldn’t dare,” Faora replied airily. She ate a fry, following it with a sip of her chocolate milk. “Have you fixed your GPA yet?”

Zod groaned, hoping she hadn’t brought it up. His teachers were willing to ignore his grades in order to let him play on the football team. Four consecutive championships—two of which won while Zod was the captain and quarterback—had given him leeway. But now that he was graduating this semester, there was no reason for teachers to help buffer his grades. He had earned a scholarship, but only on the basis of maintaining a 3.0 average. And his chemistry grade was currently dragging it down.

“No,” Zod replied sullenly.

Faora hummed, stealing more fries off of Zod’s tray before replying. “You could always ask Lara. She’s in our class, right? I know you always stare at her, so I’m sure you know how smart she is.”

“What!?” Zod gaped at Faora. She was always so smart, but this sounded like an incredibly stupid plan. Lara and him could never work together.

“And she helps out at the tutoring center,” Faora continued, not bothering to acknowledge Zod’s look of betrayal. “Actually,” Faora hummed, “both Lara _and_ Jor help out at the center.”

Zod pulled his lunch tray out of reach before Faora could eat more of his food. “I’m not going there for help.”

Faora rolled her eyes. “They’re your only hope of boosting your grades. Jor-El is going to be this year’s valedictorian. And I’m almost certain he’s taking classes at the community college as well,” she reasoned. “Just go grovel and get it done with.” She attempted to maneuver her arm around Zod, but he simply pushed his lunch tray even farther away.

Zod held Faora still with a hand on her shoulder. “Why can’t you tutor me? You’re in the same class.”

“Yes, but unlike you, I still have another year before I graduate.” She shrugged. “And I plan on being the captain of the football team. I can’t make time to help tutor you _and_ do spring training.” Faora pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, Zod.”

“No, I understand.” Zod nodded his head. “It’s important to keep up our school’s legacy. Do whatever you need to do.”

“Oh please.” Faora waved a hand. “Go back to staring at Jor and Lara.” She stood up and grabbed an apple off of Zod’s tray. “As if I’m the one in need of help,” she muttered.

\---

Usually Zod made excellent decisions. Eating in the gymnasium that contained the pool was not one of them. Zod had spent three days ignoring Faora’s advice, and his attempt to hide from his best friend was working out horribly. She wouldn’t bother searching for him, too wrapped up in her own affairs, but the scene in front of him felt like something straight out of a nightmare.

The cafeteria-with Faora and all her lecturing—now seemed like a much safer place to be.

The cafeteria was a very safe place to eat lunch.

Where people were mostly dressed.

And not wet.

From the bleachers Zod could see Jor-El doing laps throughout the pool. Zod was well aware Jor had been the swimming team’s captain, but he didn’t realize exactly how enthralling swimming could be. Zod stared down at his sandwich, internally panicking over how long he had been staring at Jor swim back and forth in the pool. He glanced up at the clock, relaxing when he saw only ten minutes in the lunch period had passed. Still…that was _ten_ minutes he could’ve spent blankly staring at Jor-El’s body.

Zod closed his eyes. He needed to leave and go far, far away. Back to Faora and his other teammates. Maybe even leave campus altogether. Certainly people would be willing to turn a blind eye if he wanted to ditch. He had never skipped class before, but this definitely was an extenuating circumstance.

When Zod opened his eyes again, his gaze zeroed in on Jor emerging from the pool, clad only in a Speedo. Zod rolled his eyes. Of course the captain of the swim team would spend his time in such little clothing. Lara sat off to the side of the pool, and Jor steadily approached her. Immediately Zod gathered up his belongings and walked down the bleachers. He had seen enough for the day. And yet somehow he continued watching Jor, rivulets of water running down his back, as he leaned over and kissed Lara.

The crashing noise Zod made as he misstepped and fell down three rows of bleachers attracted the attention of the gym, but before anyone could rush to help him, Zod picked himself up and hurried out. His leg hurt, but not as much as his ego.

\---

Considering Zod’s position on the football team, gaining access to the weight room wasn’t as difficult as others might’ve found. The football coach regularly worked on paperwork in his office, and football players almost always were able to use the weight room as long as they didn’t cause trouble.

But most importantly, the weight room was a safe zone which Jor and Lara could never enter.

The weightlifting didn’t completely remove _all_ thoughts of Jor’s body from Zod’s mind, but it helped. He couldn’t exactly focus on some pathetic fantasy and lift a 200 lb bar at the same time. Much too dangerous.

Zod left the weight room with ten minutes to spare before class, hurrying as quickly as possible to the showers. He just needed to get clean and refreshed and then he would be ready to face reality once again. He shucked out of his clothes and wrapped a towel around his lower body. Most of the other athletes had left already, too new and afraid they might get stuck with detention if they were late to their next class.

Zod turned around the corner, narrowly stopping himself before he ran face first into Jor-El. Zod frowned. This up close, he could see the full muscle definition of Jor’s body. It was good.

He glared at Jor. Now would be the perfect time to tell him how disrespectful Jor was being by breaking the “No PDA” policy with Lara. But instead what came out of Zod’s mouth was, “The light really accentuates your lats.” Zod grimaced as he moved out of the way. That hadn’t been in his list of things to say.

Jor smiled, slightly twisting his body and glancing down as if he was only now finding out he had a solid build. “Thanks.” Zod’s own gaze lowered as well over Jor’s body, but he averted his eyes as soon as Jor raised his head.

Zod gave a terse nod, shuffling around Jor to get to the showers. Despite not worrying as much about getting to class on time, he still planned on it. He had morals to uphold, and it was best to live by example. Zod hung his towel up and turned on the water, trying his best to forget about Jor. He glanced over his shoulder, freezing when he noticed Jor standing down the row and putting on his clothes. If there was ever a horrible time to get an erection, now would be it. Zod snapped his head forward and went back to dutifully cleaning himself.

He cranked the cold water, carefully ignoring all thoughts of Jor or Lara or anyone else. He wasn’t like them. He was better. They eschewed the policy of “No Public Displays of Attention.” Policies like those existed for a reason. They prevented unwanted thoughts, prevented teenage sex, prevented unplanned pregnancies. Zod had once heard Jor mention that the policy only existed to make sure law suits didn’t happen, but that couldn’t be it. Policies and laws existed for the good of society. Possibly.

\---

The day after the pool incident wasn’t a success either. Zod had spent his lunch bickering with Faora. She thought he was acting weird, and in an attempt to silence her accusations, he swore he was only acting odd because he was planning on getting tutoring.

Zod paused in front of the door to the tutoring center. It was too late to back out now. He would’ve gone for help _eventually_ , but he didn’t see how it had finally come to this. There had to be some other option. He took a deep breath, straightening his posture before walking inside.

Most people were sitting around the room in pairs. He noticed Jor-El tutoring a freshman, but Zod quickly looked away. Zod’s gaze landed on Lara, who had already noticed him and was smiling. She motioned for Zod to sit next to her. He pursed his lips, remembering how the week prior he had seen Lara and Jor sneak into the janitor’s closet during lunch. He almost had gone over and broken up their little tryst, but the entire football team would’ve followed him and stood witness to the whole ordeal.

“Hey,” she smiled warmly. “What do you need help on?”

“Chemistry.”

Lara raised an eyebrow. “Anything specific in chemistry?”

“All of it.” Zod sat down and pulled his book and notebook out of his backpack and dumped them on the desk. A few people briefly turned their head in his direction. “I don’t know what I’m doing in this class. And the final is cumulative.”

Lara muffled a laugh with her hand. “I’m aware of that. You know, considering we’re in the same class,” she whispered.

Zod glared at her. “Just because we’re in the same class doesn’t mean you’re qualified to teach me everything I need to know about it.”

Lara’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyes narrowed, creating a strange contrast. Zod leaned closer. “I promise I can help you pass the class,” she said evenly.

Zod nodded, but Lara was already digging around in her backpack. “We’ll use my notes,” she whispered. She grabbed his arm, effectively making Zod tense. He stared at her hand blankly. “ _Zod!_ Scoot closer,” she hissed. This time when Zod scooted his chair directly next to hers, it scraped, creating a loud noise that attracted the attention of the entire classroom. Zod ducked his head down, barely glancing over Lara’s shoulder, who was already focused on creating a streamlined version of everything Zod would need to know for the final.

\---

Tutoring sessions with Lara were alright. She was more intense than Zod had expected. He had seen her on the debate team, but she had always appeared calm and collected during her speeches. It was intimidating being on the receiving end of her glares. And yet any crush he might’ve had on her only magnified over the last few weeks, which was especially ridiculous considering she was dating Jor-El.

Zod waited patiently for her to arrive at the tutoring center, but as the minutes ticked on, he realized something he had always taken for granted: Lara was always in the tutoring center before him. Zod glanced around the room, wondering if she had left a note explaining her absence. He figured he could ask someone else to help, but he would much rather wait for Lara and her study guide outline. At one point she had made Zod a copy of it so he could study by himself, but if he wanted to study alone, he really didn’t need to be at the tutoring center for that.

As he started packing his stuff up, Jor-El opened the door to the classroom. He walked toward Zod, huffing as he dropped his backpack on the floor. Jor collapsed on the chair next to Zod. “Sorry I’m late. Lara needed me to help move her artwork.”

“Artwork?”

“Yeah, loads of it. It filled up my whole car. Paintings and sculptures and statues.” Jor rifled through his backpack. “But now that it’s all dropped off, she can set it up however she sees fit.” Zod noticed Lara’s notebook, and he leaned over, wondering what Jor was doing with it. “Now tell me, what chapter are you and Lara on?”

“Huh?”

“Oh!” Jor started laughing, slightly disrupting the classroom. “I’m guessing Lara didn’t tell you, right?” Jor ran a hand through his hair. “She can’t be here today, so I’ll tutor you.” Jor’s smile faltered. “Is that okay?”

Zod shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Good, good.” Jor turned the pages of Lara’s notebook, smiling when he found a post-it note saying ‘left off here.’ “Okay, thermodynamics. This shouldn’t be too bad.” He scooted his chair closer to Zod’s, leaning over him as he started explaining concepts.

\---

Lara was in her normal spot when Zod came into the tutoring center the next day. As soon as Zod sat down, she turned toward him. “Jor said tutoring went well yesterday,” she smiled.

“Yeah,” Zod agreed.

“Good. Jor is really great at explaining thermodynamics. He probably explained it better than I could, so I’m glad that worked out well.”

Zod stared at his notes. He feared if he tried making more small talk with Lara it would end up with him confessing he almost got half-hard just sitting and listening to her boyfriend explain chemistry. That definitely wouldn’t be good for his future tutoring sessions or chemistry grade. “You make art?”

“Oh,” Lara’s brow crinkled at his change in conversation. “Yeah. I have an art show. Did you want to check it out?”

“That’s okay. We should study.”

Lara laughed and placed a hand over Zod’s. “No, the art show can be seen after we study. Jor and I were going after this. You can come along.”

Zod felt himself heating up, but he didn’t pull his hand out from under Lara’s. “It’s fine. You don’t want me tagging along.”

Lara narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t you want to see my artwork?” She squeezed Zod’s hand.

“I have other things to do,” Zod insisted, attempting to add some force into his voice. He missed the contact when Lara pulled her hand away.

“Fine,” she lilted. “You don’t need to go. I guess my feelings don’t matter.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder, feigning indifference.

Zod clenched his fists. “Okay, Lara.”

“No, no,” she insisted, patting Zod’s hand. “Don’t go on my account.”

Zod rolled his eyes. She was worse than Faora. “I’ll go,” he pouted.

“Oh, it’s okay, I’m already over it. Don’t—”

“I’ll go,” Zod growled. This time he ignored the people who turned their heads to look at him.

\---

The tutoring session wasn’t over until 5 pm. Jor waited off to the side, completing his own homework while he waited for Lara and Zod to finish their studying. “Ready!” Lara tossed her notebook in her bag and nudged Jor-El. “Almost done?”

“Mhm,” Jor hummed.

Zod filed his own study materials and book away neatly. Despite Jor sounding ecstatic about bringing Zod along, Zod doubted Jor’s enthusiasm was completely real. However, if Jor was annoyed by Zod’s presence, he didn’t show it. Lara helped pack up Jor’s backpack, and they held hands as they walked toward the car. “Hurry up, Zod!” She reached a hand out, catching Zod by the elbow. He felt uncomfortable walking in their odd formation, but he didn’t bother pulling away.

Jor looked over at the both of them. “You know, the art show doesn’t start until seven, Lara.”

“I know. We can get dinner in the meantime.” Jor smiled as if he knew that would be her answer all along.

\---

The restaurant Lara insisted eating at was basically a hole in the wall, but the food was delicious. He sat on one side of the booth while Lara and Jor sat next to each other. However, while Zod savored the food, Lara acted as if this were her last meal.

“You don’t understand, Zod. You can’t eat greasy food like this when you’re older. It’ll just clog up your arteries.”

“And so you ordered two burgers?”

Lara pouted. “I can’t help it if I’ve been raised on this kind of food. This is what I love, just let it be.”

Zod glanced at Jor-El’s reasonable amount of food on his own plate before looking at Lara again. “What about your future kids? What if they want to eat this stuff, then what?” Zod frowned at the idea of Lara and Jor having children. Lara discussed parenthood as if it were something she might one day be interested in, but she acted as if she had no particular person in mind to help raise her children. Zod was certain Lara was already considering all of her future children would be fathered by Jor.

“That’s why I’m getting this out of my system now. I’m nipping this habit in the bud, and then as long as I feed my kids good food, they won’t crave this junk.”

“Right,” Zod drawled. “Because they’re never going to go out during their senior year of high school and eat dinner at a place their parents might not approve of.”

Lara primly put her second burger back down on the plate. She turned her gaze on Jor, only talking once she had his attention. “Zod is ruining my vision of my hypothetical children’s future.”

Jor smiled at Lara. “I’m sure he’s just trying to be realistic.”

“I don’t like it,” Lara snapped. She glared at Zod, but the effect was ruined when she brought up her burger and took a bite out of it.

“It’s nice of you to support Lara’s art show,” Jor said. “It’s just stuff she’s done for her art classes at the community college, but it looks great.” Jor glanced at Lara, concern etched on his face when he saw she was still pouting at her food. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Lara sighed. “Well—I don’t know! Zod’s right. How am I supposed to make sure my kids are always safe?” She slumped against Jor’s chest, humming when Jor kissed her forehead.

Zod frowned. “You’re not pregnant already, are you?”

Lara crooked an eyebrow at him. “No, idiot. That’s what condoms and birth control are for.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m only eighteen. There’s no way I’m having any babies at the moment. I’m just saying—”

“Lara panics before art shows,” Jor interrupted.

\---

A couple weeks after the art show, Zod found himself sitting on Lara’s bedroom floor, his chemistry notes laid out in front of him. In less than a week he would be taking his final for his chemistry test. His grade in the class had improved moderately, but he still needed to get at least a B on the final in order to hold onto his GPA.

Lara sat on her bed as she shuffled through her own work. She told Zod he could study at her house and ask her questions, but she had a paper that needed to be typed up. Jor sat at Lara’s desk. Zod had been sitting there, but he offered it up when Jor arrived. Anyways, he preferred doing his studying on the floor. He was much more likely to stay focused sitting on the floor than if he were studying on a bed or sitting at a desk.

Jor slammed his laptop closed. “I give up!” He spun his rolling chair away from the desk, abruptly stopping when he was facing Lara and Zod.

“I don’t believe you,” Lara said without looking up.

“Okay,” Jor sighed. “I don’t give up, but I need a break.”

Lara made space available on her bed just before Jor collapsed into it. “I hate all these classes.”

“You said you could handle them all,” Lara reminded.

“I can. It’s fine. But my brain feels like it’s about to burst.”

Zod watched as Lara shoved more papers out of the way. “Nonsense.” She pressed a kiss against Jor’s head. “You’re fine.” She ran her fingers through Jor’s hair. “At least you’re getting ahead. You’ll be able to graduate college early. Don’t worry, it’s worth it.” Lara smiled when she made eye contact with Zod. “Do you need me to massage your scalp too?”

“No, I’m fine.” Zod looked down at his study guide. He actually wouldn’t mind if Lara massaged his scalp, but the last time she had, he had had difficulty covering up his erection. And pressed up near Jor as well? Yeah, that wouldn’t end well.

“Of course.” She nodded her head in the direction of her desk. “Go sit there. It’ll be better for your back.”

Zod gathered his study materials and moved Jor’s papers out of the way. Faora had been right about Jor taking classes at the community college. Jor wanted to finish up his degree early, and he would be able to transfer all of his community college credits. Zod glanced back at Jor and Lara. Any of his complaints about the couple disregarding their high school’s “No PDA” policy hadn’t prepared him for this. Faora was always right—he did have a weird fascination with Jor and Lara. Even if he refused to acknowledge it.

\---

As promised, Lara was able to teach Zod everything he needed to know in order to pass his chemistry class. With his GPA a 3.33 for the last semester, he had nothing to worry about. All he had left was a month to spend doing nothing before football training at his college.

But despite having tons of friends, Zod had no idea how to spend his summer. Usually he went straight into summer workouts for football practice, but he was no longer on Krypton High School’s team, and he still had a month before he needed to leave for college and start summer workouts there. He tried interacting with Faora and his old teammates, but they were always too exhausted after practice to entertain him. He had a month before he needed to leave for college, and not a single idea of what to do.

Until of course Lara asked him if he wanted to hang out with her and Jor. Some days it would be all three of them, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays Jor had class and volunteer work at the community college. Most Tuesdays and Thursdays Lara and Zod would watch television at Lara’s house. Sometimes Lara would position Zod facing the television while she sketched him. A few times Lara had even showed Zod a few art techniques. But most of the time they lounged around and waited for Jor-El to come back. It always seemed like a crime to have fun if he wasn’t there, and so they both waited until he arrived at Lara’s house.

Lara’s parents both worked late each day. Because of that, she had no problem turning her house into a dark abyss. She made every effort possible to stop all sunlight from coming into the bedroom, but the humid weather managed to make the house feel muggy.

“Do you want a popsicle?” Lara asked Zod.

Zod sunk deeper into the couch. “Considering the amount of junk food you consume during the day, I’m surprised you have such a high hopes for your children.”

“Ugh, it’s called ‘wanting something better for your kids.’” She pushed Zod’s face away. “Now I’m too annoyed with you to eat a popsicle.” Lara rested her head on Zod’s shoulder, repositioning herself on the couch slightly in order to do so. “Everything sucks without Jor here.” She sucked in a breath. “No offense. It’s just not the same without him.”

Zod hummed in agreement and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He missed Jor too on these days. Usually when it was all three of them, they might go to the pool or a museum or somewhere. _Anywhere_. Jor just knew of the perfect places to take them on their mini field trips.

Last week they spent the day in Metropolis at the Museum of Art. Zod normally would’ve never have gone to such a thing on his own free will, but Jor insisted it would be fun, and surprisingly, it had been. Lara walked ahead the whole time, quickly walking past art she disliked in order to see her favorites. But Jor and Zod stuck together the whole time. At first they aimlessly walked around the rooms, looking at art and reading the notes next them, pretending to understand all the subtle nuances. And then Jor saw a painting he loved, slung an arm around Zod’s shoulders, and breathlessly explained the painting, bringing up the history going around during the time period, talking about artist influences, and bringing up the stylistic choices. The rest of the day continued like that. Jor spoke in hushed tones, and Zod strained to catch every single word. Sometimes Zod noticed people trailing close by in an attempt to hear the things Jor had to say. Wrapping an arm around Jor’s waist to bring him closer was selfish, but he refused to share these small moments with anyone else.

And then after the museum, Jor dropped off Lara at her house first. When they stopped in front of Zod’s, Jor had leaned over and kissed Zod. It had been a small thing, just lips brushing for not even more than a second, but it had happened. Jor hadn’t kissed him again, and Zod didn’t want to ruin everything by bringing it up, but it had happened.

Zod blamed the heat for not noticing Lara was kissing his shoulder and neck. He pulled away as she started kissing his jaw. For a moment neither of them did anything. Any happiness he might’ve felt over one of his crushes kissing him was tampered down by guilt. All Zod could imagine was the look of betrayal on Jor-El’s face.

“You can’t do that to Jor.”

Lara frowned, eyebrows rising as if she couldn’t fathom why Zod was panicking so much. “Jor knows,” she shrugged.

That only made Zod widen his eyes even more, and he stood up. “What?”

Lara started to stand, but Zod only took a step backward. “Okay.” She sat back down, heaving out a sigh. “I thought you would be less clueless, but okay.” She shrugged a shoulder. “We can have this conversation when Jor is here.” She checked her phone. “And stop freaking out, please.”

“I’m not.”

Lara put on her most patient smile. “You sort of are. It’s not a big deal, okay. Just a misunderstanding.”

Zod crossed his hands over his chest. “It’s a little more than a misunderstanding.”

“If you were more observant, you wouldn’t think so.” Lara went back to texting. “Please, sit down. Watch TV. When Jor gets here, we can explain,” she promised.

Zod tentatively stared at the couch. If he had less control, he would be kissing her right now. As it was, he might still end up kissing her if he sat down. He scrubbed a hand over his face. He really wished he was more observant because nothing Lara or Jor did made sense.

\---

It took half an hour for both Jor and Lara to convince him that they had been trying to seduce him. It took another fifteen minutes to convince Zod that they weren’t playing a trick on him.

Jor attempted to placate him, but the soft touches were too much.

Zod walked home that night, too confused and too ashamed to ask for a ride home from Jor. He had heard of polyamorous relationships before, but he always assumed they never worked out. Someone would get left out. That was life. Humans were monogamous creatures. Couples, not trios. Society thrived best that way.

And Zod couldn’t shake the feeling that he would end up being the one getting left out if any issues ever occurred. But then again, he would only be here for a couple more weeks. A little experimentation couldn’t really hurt. And Lara and Jor were both exceptionally intelligent. They wouldn’t try to enter polyamorous relationship if they didn’t know the consequences. No, they were people of science and logic. They wouldn’t dare make a poor decision.

\---

Nothing exactly changed between the three of them, which made Zod realize they might have been dating for awhile, explaining why Lara was so confused when Zod panicked.

The only real difference was that Zod now knew what it felt like to have Lara’s lips wrapped around his cock. Jor had been in the room watching, and afterwards Lara moved up to the bed to kiss Jor. Zod had made an excuse about why he needed to leave, which in hindsight was stupid because he could’ve watched the two objects of his obsession have sex with each other. That could’ve been a thing. Instead he ran laps around the school track. Zod felt like an outsider, realizing Jor and Lara probably had sex all the time. And they were so nice about not pushing Zod past his limits.

\---

It was a Monday when Jor trudged into Lara’s house and collapsed on her bed. Zod had always wondered why Jor never knocked, but apparently he always used the house key to let himself in, especially since Lara’s parents were always constantly working late at their own research facilities.

“I hate my professor.”

“Aww, no you don’t.” Lara ran a hand through Jor’s hair.

“No, I really do.”

Zod and Lara started to scoot over so Jor could fit next to them, but instead Jor crawled up the bed and laid his head on Lara’s lap.

“I wanted to discuss something I had been working on, but my physics professor denied all my claims. And not even on the basis that they were wrong! He just couldn’t recall the theories and so he preferred to shrug off what I was saying,” Jor groaned. “I’ve never wanted to go to leave this community college so badly.”

“It’s okay,” Lara said. “It’ll be better.”

Jor grunted, causing Lara and Zod to glance at each other. Jor was always so optimistic that any time he complained, Lara and Zod had to pause and remember it wasn’t the end of the world.

Jor let out a sigh. “So what have you two been doing all day?”

“It’s only eleven in the morning,” Zod laughed. “We’ve literally been sitting here watching television for no more than two hours.”

“Oh,” Jor replied. He rolled over, neatly resting his head on Zod’s lap. “Well wake me up in an hour. I’ve been awake since four this morning.”

Zod frowned, but this wasn’t the first time Jor was this physically intimate with him. After a few minutes, Zod started feeling increasingly sleepy as well. The combined bodies increased the temperature in the room, and Zod couldn’t stop his head from resting on Lara’s shoulder. Lara let out a sigh, most likely annoyed that she was being used as a human pillow, but she grabbed a pillow and placed it behind her back before leaning against the headboard.

When Zod woke up, it was to the low murmuring of Lara and Jor. They moved slightly when they realized Zod was awake.

Lara glanced at Zod. “Have you ever been rimmed?”

Zod sat up straight. “What?”

“Oh, it’s like someone’s mouth on another person’s hole.” She blinked at Zod. “Rimming. Sometimes it’s prep for—”

“I know what it is,” Zod sneered. “But why would you ask someone that?”

“Oh,” Jor yawned, “because she’s really great at it.”

Zod jerked backward. Of all the fantasies he ever imagined, none of them had Lara rimming Jor. Zod took a moment to run off to the bathroom. Lara and Jor were definitely serious. He breathed, wondering if he should bother cleaning up. Lara didn’t make ludicrous statements just for the sake of it.

\---

Lara’s hands were just as beautiful as the day she first claimed she could help him pass his chemistry class. She didn’t get manicures, but she kept her nails short and clean and polished a pretty blue color. Zod rested on his elbows, grimacing at the thought of any longer nails fingering him. Jor’s hand pressed down on his shoulder. He had been sitting at the top of the bed since Zod came back in and agreed to let Lara rim him. And Jor was currently trying to get Zod to relax.

“Don’t worry,” Jor insisted. “Lara knows what she’s doing.”

If Zod could use the functions of his vocal cords, he would agree. He could feel Lara’s tongue circling his hole while a finger moved in and out of him. Drooling was all Zod could do at this point. Her tongue had been fucking him earlier, and now he felt like that was something he definitely would need to feel again. Lara pressed the pad of her thumb around the outside, this time leaving his hole alone to kiss down along his balls and cock. Zod’s body jolted, definitely surprising Lara from the noise she made. He would apologize later.

“Are you okay?”

Zod didn’t say anything until he realized Jor’s question was directed at him. “Yeah,” he mumbled.

“Good,” Lara said, rubbing Zod’s back. “That sounded like it hurt.”

Zod tried his best not to wince as Lara pulled her fingers out, but it only exacerbated the pain. “If you’re not comfortable, you have to let us know,” Lara instructed, but Zod just waved a hand. He was a football player. He could handle a little pain.

Lara sighed and switched places with Jor. While Zod was completely naked, Jor and Lara were still in their underwear. Jor ran a hand up and down Zod’s back. “Is it still okay if I fuck you?”

Zod nodded. “Yeah, I’m good,” he promised. He attempted to turn over, but Lara stopped him when he was on his side. If he had the strength, he might’ve pushed her away, but instead he leaned into Lara’s touch. “The prep Lara did was enough. I can handle it.”

Lara frowned at Zod, pushing his hair away from his face with her fingers. If he focused on her instead of the size of Jor’s cock, it would be fine. The bed dipped, and Zod instinctually reached out and grabbed Jor. “Where are you going?” Zod frowned at the neediness in his own voice.

“Getting a condom. And more lube.” Jor smiled and pulled away. He rifled through Lara’s drawers before retrieving both. “I know you have a pain kink, but this doesn’t need to hurt worse than it should the first time.” While Jor put on the condom, Lara laid down next to him.

“If it hurts, it hurts. You don’t have to pretend for our sakes.” Lara kissed Zod’s cheek. Zod relaxed, letting Lara kiss him while Jor fingered him. Jor’s fingers were thicker, but the lube eased it. Lara stroked a hand down Zod’s chest. “Just remember to breathe.”

By the time Jor pressed his cock inside of Zod, Zod was a writhing mess. Lara’s hands hadn’t stayed solely on his chest, instead sneaking downward to help finger Zod at the same time as Jor.

At one point, Zod turned his head to watch Jor. He had a look of grim determination plastered on his face, but when he noticed Zod watching him, Jor smiled. He tried not to break his pace, but he lowered himself slowly until he could kiss Zod. When Jor pulled back, Lara moved upward to kiss Zod as well, digging her fingers hard into Zod’s shoulder. He let out a gasp, but Lara’s smirk spoke volumes. He wasn’t sure if he _did_ have a pain kink, but Lara and Jor seemed to know him better than he knew himself.

Zod sunk farther into the mattress. He was a quarterback, had brought his team to multiple victories, and had earned a scholarship for his leadership and ability to strategize. And yet despite priding himself on being an excellent strategist, it wasn’t until Jor’s cock was inside him and Lara’s hands grasping his own cock that he realized their plans were far more splendid than his own.

Jor placed a hand over Lara’s, jerking Zod off together until he came. The sweet nothings Lara whispered about keeping him had been unexpected, but Zod only nodded. If that’s what Lara and Jor wanted, than yes, he wanted it too.

Jor finished a moment later, but after he pulled out, he climbed up the bed. Lara scooted up farther, but Jor grasped her legs and pulled her toward him. During the summer, Jor had stopped shaving his face so much, creating a minor five o’clock shadow. Zod had wondered what that might feel like against his skin, but apparently it felt heavenly if the gasps Lara was making while Jor kissed her thighs were anything to go by. She pushed down her underwear, and Jor helped her yank them off.

Zod watched, sharing a smile with Jor before Jor dipped his head in between her legs. Lara rolled her body in an attempt to make Jor do more than just tease. “Stop,” Jor chided.

Zod closed his eyes, too blissed out to do anything more. All he could do was be thankful his college wasn’t too far away from Jor and Lara’s. He planned on joining the military afterward, and he most likely still would. It was the right career for him—the only career he saw himself partaking in—but now only as long as he could keep Jor and Lara too. Too tired, too sweaty, and too annoyed that he didn’t figure out they were truly trying to seduce him until he was underneath both of them, Zod fell asleep.

\---

Zod glanced down at his watch. His flight hadn’t had any delays, but the traffic on the freeway was killing him. It didn’t matter though—he had already missed the birth.

His plan to arrive back in the states right before Lara’s due date would’ve been a success, but then Kal had been born earlier than expected, trashing his plans of being there for Jor and Lara. Jor had tried to console Zod about missing the birth, pointing out that instead of having to wait around for a baby to be born, Kal decided to skip all that hassle.

Still, Zod felt like he missed an important moment.

The taxi jerked to a halt, causing Zod to look up in panic. With the light from the sunset streaming down, the little house the three of them had found out in the suburbs seemed quaint, and somehow now seemed like a much better place to raise a child than their previous apartment in bustling Metropolis. Zod unbuckled and paid as quickly as possible, eager to see everyone he had been missing.

He didn’t bother ringing the doorbell, instead taking out his keys and letting himself in. Hearing nothing, he headed toward the nursery. As he walked down the hallway, a door jerked open. Jor’s look of concern melted as soon as he saw Zod.

“I was afraid it was someone else when I didn’t hear you say anything.” Jor pulled Zod into a hug, resting his forehead against Zod’s before kissing him. “Come on.” When Jor moved out of the doorway, Zod’s gaze landed on Lara and Kal. Lara sat in a rocking chair while breastfeeding her son, a look on her face practically daring Zod to say something about it.

“I see you’ve decided not to bottle feed him,” Zod remarked.

“No,” Lara laughed. Her laughter accidentally upset Kal, who let out a tiny mewl. “Oh.” Lara adjusted her breast, allowing Kal to nurse once again. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” she cooed.

Zod kneeled down beside her. “So this is the troublemaker?” He gazed down at Kal. Kal seemed restless, eyes darting back and forth between Lara and Zod. His eyelids kept dipping shut, then opening up widely as if someone had yelled. Zod placed a hand on Kal’s back. His eyes were incredibly dark blue, but they would most likely lighten over time. “He’s perfect.”

Lara hummed in agreement. “He’s almost done eating if you want to hold him.”

“Okay,” Zod whispered.

\---

Kal started crying once Lara placed him in Zod’s arms, but not for long. Already fed and burped, he was too content to do anything but fall asleep. Zod stood while he held Kal. He attempted to hug Lara, but it was nothing like how he would’ve liked to hold her after a year of being away. But she was so tired. Kal’s birth was supposed to be a cesarean section, but instead it was a normal delivery. She had forgone the epidural despite the need, something Zod still couldn’t believe.

Jor and Lara walked to the kitchen, leaving Zod to trail behind them. He walked steady, careful not to disturb Kal. He was so tiny in Zod’s arms. Zod had operated multimillion dollar machinery, and yet nothing seemed as valuable as this tiny baby.

Zod sat down at an empty chair at the dining room table. Jor had started cooking dinner while Lara was breastfeeding, and the food smelled like it was ready.

Jor stood near Zod. “Do you want me to put him down in his crib?”

“It’s okay.” Zod shook his head. “I’ll just have to be careful not to drop any crumbs on him.” He expected Lara to argue, but she smiled at him from across the table.

The dinner Jor made was delicious, but Zod was so focused on not dropping his meatloaf, mashed potatoes, or green beans on Kal that he missed half of the conversation. As Jor cleaned up the plates, Zod glanced over at Lara. “You probably could wean Kal off of breastfeeding. It might be better if you start him on a bottle early, and that way you could go back to work much earlier.”

Lara frowned. “I’ve already told you I don’t want to do that.”

“Well my parents raised me that way.”

“Yes, and look how well you turned out,” she sneered. A second later Lara’s face fell. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Zod hugged Kal closer to him. “No, tell me exactly how my parents failed.”

“Zod,” Lara groaned. “It’s just—I’ve told you so many times the benefits of breastfeeding. I don’t know why you insist on arguing with me. I’m not pulling facts and statistics out of thin air. There’s scientific evidence—”

“Yes, yes. So much scientific evidence. And if you look at another study, you’ll see counterevidence.”

Lara huffed, but before she could continue, Jor stepped forward to pick up Kal. “Here, let me put him in his crib,” he offered. Zod nodded and allowed Jor to pick Kal up. “And both of you should probably go to sleep.” He glared at Lara and then Zod. “Weren’t you on an eighteen hour flight, Dru? I would think you need some sleep.”

Too tired to deny the facts, Zod trudged along toward the bedroom. He took a moment to brush his teeth. He considered getting pajamas, but instead stripped off his clothes down to his boxers. It was too hot, and the combined heat of the three of them sharing the same bed would only make it worse. He considered where to sleep, finally deciding to lay down on the side of the bed closest to the door.

Lara walked into the bedroom afterward, but she headed directly toward the bed. She prodded Zod over, then snuggled close to him. “I’m sorry for being so rude,” she whispered.

Zod wrapped an arm around. “It’s fine. Maybe I was wrong too.”

Lara snorted. “Maybe?”

“Maybe,” Zod hummed. He moved his hand until it was resting on the back of her head. He tilted his head, kissing her until Lara sighed into it.

“You press my buttons,” she complained.

“I’m aware,” Zod replied. He attempted to kiss Lara again, but she pushed him away.

“Brat,” she called out on her way to the bathroom.

\---

By the time Jor got into the bedroom, Lara and Zod were laying down on the opposite sides of the bed. They paused their conversation to look up at Jor, sharing a frown when Jor started laughing.

“Well, you both look exceptionally petulant.” Jor smirked as he crawled up the middle of the bed, letting Zod curl up around him while he pulled Lara into his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically a prequel for “For the Love of Fried Oreos.” I'll edit it later into a series, but I have one more part I want to write and add for this 'verse.


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